The Safe House
by cylobaby
Summary: Melissa is a Muggle who is brought under the protection of the Order. She has to live in the Order safe house with the prickly Severus Snape. Can Severus learn to trust or will his one chance at happiness slip past him? Snape/OC
1. Chapter 1

**This story is slightly AU. Once Snape killed Dumbledore, Snape's cover was blown so he was forced to live in the Order HQ to keep safe from Voldemort. Harry, Ron, and Hermione left school before their seventh year to search for the Horcruxes. Noncompliant with Deathly Hallows. **

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"Thank goodness for Sundays," Melissa said to Susan, her waitress, as she brought over her coffee. "I slept in until nine today."

Susan rolled her eyes as she set down the mug and the stack of creams. "Sweetie, if you're waking up at nine on a weekend that means you didn't party late enough last night," she said with a wink. Susan had been working at the little restaurant that Melissa always had breakfast at for ten years, and they had similar conversations often, much to Melissa's annoyance. Susan was in her early sixties, and nothing was more interesting to her than every detail of everyone else's lives. "Is Jake out of town?" she asked in an off-handed manner, though she was clearly digging for information.

"Susan, you know full well that we broke up. I don't know why everyone keeps wanting us to get back together!" Melissa exclaimed, opening a cream container and pouring it into her steaming coffee.

"Ah, but you were so cute together," Susan shrugged, pursing her lips. "Besides, you need to get married soon. You're 31 now."

"Yes, I am. And your point is…"

Ignoring Melissa's rude tone, Susan continued stubbornly, "My point is you're running out of time."

"Maybe I don't think marriage and popping out kids are the most important things in life. I've got a steady job where I'm making a difference, and I'm happy."

"Being a vet isn't making a difference, not like having kids does," Susan said matter-of-factly. Some of the patrons around them started looking in on the conversation, most of whom knew Melissa. None of them seemed to be considering sticking up for her—in fact, some were nodding with what Susan was saying.

"You didn't say that when it was _your_ dog who was on the operating table," Melissa snapped. "I think you've got other tables to wait," she said pointedly, picking up her coffee and looking away.

Susan gave her a steady look, and then left her alone. Melissa sighed into her cooled coffee, and picked up the newspaper. She had been amused that the local paper had been interested enough in the old teapot she had found to put her in the paper the other day. Sometimes she felt she should move to a place that was a bit more interesting… Someplace people would stop telling her she needed to get married before she got "too old."

Once Melissa finished her coffee, she left the restaurant quickly, not meeting anyone's eye as she left. She could feel their stares, and knew that news of her argument with Susan had already spread to everyone in the area.

She drove quickly back to her small house, which was located just outside the main area of the town. When she walked in the front door, she was overcome by the strange sense that something was wrong. Nothing was obviously different about her house, but something wasn't the same. When she walked by the living room, she jumped to find that two people were sitting on her couch.

The two stood up when they saw her, and Melissa found herself looking at an extremely odd couple. The man was very tall and black, wearing long blue robes, and the woman was younger, with bright purple hair, and a matching outfit. "Melissa Blackmore?" the woman said urgently. Though their appearance was foreign, her English accent was smooth and native.

"Yes, I'm Melissa. How can I help you?" she asked, trying not to stare at the woman's strange hair.

"We need to talk to you—it's very urgent," the man said quickly.

"Where is it?" Melissa asked, turning back towards her door.

"Where's what?" the woman asked, watching her with a strange expression.

"Your animal," Melissa said, confused. "What happened?"

"We're not here for anything like that," the man said. "This is about you. We have reason to believe your life is at risk."

"Is this a joke?" she demanded, blue eyes narrowed. She didn't like having the two odd people in her house, especially since her sweet guard dog, a burly German Shepard named Ibo, had died. Melissa had a gun, but it was hidden in a drawer in her kitchen.

"No," the woman said earnestly, looking around anxiously. "I promise that you're in very real danger."

"From who?" Melissa asked suspiciously. At the moment, the only people who Melissa felt threatened by at all were the two strange people talking to her in her living room.

The man and woman exchanged an uncertain look. "This is hard to explain," the man said. "You _are_ a Muggle, right?"

"Excuse me?" Melissa replied, feeling more confused. Was Muggle a codeword? Maybe these people were with the government. In the strange-dressing, breaking-and-entering section of the government. Melissa began wishing she kept her cell phone with her at all times of day, no matter how many pet owners disturbed her at all hours.

"That's a yes," the woman said. "Okay, well, my name's Tonks, and this is Kingsley Shacklebolt. We're… in a certain group, and there are these other people in a different group—evil—and, well, they don't like people like you, and they're going to single you out because you might be related to the leader of the group."

Melissa paused, trying to digest the information. "What sort of group?" she asked, picking one out of one hundred questions racing through her mind.

"Wizards," Kingsley said bluntly. "And witches. The evil wizard, who cannot be named, has already killed off everyone else related to him, and you're next."

Melissa met his eyes icily. "I'd like for you both to get out of my house," she said as calmly as she could. The pair exchanged a glance, and Melissa's eyes narrowed. "Now or I call the police." She took a step to the side where her phone hung on the wall.

Kingsley pulled out a stick, and waved it. The phone flew to the other side of the room and smashed against the window, breaking both the phone and the glass. "Now, listen, if the other group gets here, that," he said, gesturing to the broken phone, "will be your head. You have to trust us. We can take you somewhere safe."

Melissa looked at them levelly for a moment, then suddenly darted out the room, running for the kitchen. She heard the woman swear, and heard them following her. Panting, Melissa slid into the kitchen and scrambled for her gun in the cluttered drawer. There was a loud noise outside, and she looked through her sliding glass door at three figures in black robes who had just appeared by her house. They saw her, and strode purposefully up the door, drawing sticks similar to the man's weapon.

Melissa quickly cocked her gun and held it firmly in her hand. "Don't come closer," she shouted, aiming the gun. Her voice was shaky, but her hand wasn't. The three figures were already at the door. A sharp movement with one of their weapons and the glass imploded. Melissa screamed, and fired at the leading figure. Somehow, the bullet stopped in midair and fell to the ground.

Suddenly, there was a strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and Melissa felt her world turn inside out. She felt as though she was being crushed to death, and thought for one wild moment that she was dead, before her senses came back to her and she found herself in the middle of an empty street.

She was half-carried and half-dragged up a set of stairs, though she was still so confused from the strange experience she had just had that she couldn't focus on any of her surroundings. A door clicked open, and Melissa was dragged inside somewhere.

Shakily, Melissa fell to the ground when the arm suddenly let go. She was dizzy, nauseous, and extremely disoriented. She stared at the swirled pattern of the hardwood floor inches from her nose, trying not to throw up. As the dizziness began to fade, Melissa became away of biting pain in her arms, face, and legs. Realizing that her right hand still clutched her gun, she used her left hand to reach up and hold her face. Her hand met something sharp jutting from her skin, and came away bloody. Overwhelmed, Melissa let out a shaky gasp and sat up on her knees, though her knees were searing with pain and it brought on another wave of dizziness.

She was in what appeared to be a hallway, decorated simply with generic colors, and smelled sharply clean. In front of her, the man who had been in her house, Kingsley Shacklebolt, was at the end of the hallway, then went through a door, leaving Melissa alone. Melissa took a deep breath, and tried to stand up. She didn't know where she was or how she got there, but she didn't plan to stick around long enough to find out.

It was difficult for her to get onto her feet, and she had to steady herself against the wall, leaving a faint smear of blood. Cautiously, tugged on the sharp point on her face and pulled out a bright red piece of glass. When the glass door had shattered, it must have sliced her badly. Though she wanted to pause and take stock of where she was injured, she could hear footsteps in the direction Shacklebolt had gone, so knew she had to leave quickly.

There were several doors in the hallway, and Melissa looked at them quickly, trying to find the one that would help her escape. The calm veterinarian part of her mind told her that she needed to get to a hospital as soon as she could. The blood-loss and shock alone could cause her to lose consciousness soon, and she did not want to get trapped here. The was a coat rack near one of the doors, so Melissa chose that one, limping quickly towards it.

The door opened suddenly, startling Melissa. The woman, Tonks, hurried through, and snapped it closed behind her. Her pink hair was tousled and she was out of breath, but was grinning triumphantly. Melissa raised her gun, and aimed it unsteadily at the woman. When she saw Melissa standing in the middle of the hallway, aiming a gun at her, her face fell. "Blimey, the glass got you good," she said worriedly. To Melissa's confusion, she hardly gave the gun a second glance. "Where did Kingsley go?"

Melissa didn't answer, standing unsteadily and waiting for Tonks to make the first move. Paying no attention to Melissa's stance and loaded weapon, Tonks went calmly past her down the hallway. "Kingsley!" she called. "I, uh, I think Melissa might need some help." When there was no immediate answer, she looked back at Melissa. "Um, just give me a few seconds to get…" She trailed off, already hurrying down the hall and going through a different door than Shacklebolt had earlier.

Melissa waited until the second she was out of sight before turning and lurching towards the door. As she scrambled with the knob, a voice behind her like frozen velvet calmly said, "And who are you?"

Melissa whirled around and found a slender man in black robes watching her coolly, leaning against the doorway he had just entered through. His black hair was tied back in a short ponytail, accentuating his sharp, pale features. In his hand was the wooden weapon that the rest of the dangerous people she had encountered during the day had wielded, and he was wearing the same strange outfit.

Melissa didn't know who he was, but if he was in the company of the other lunatics then she didn't want anything to do with him. She raised her gun and said, "Stay b-back." Unlike the woman, this man acknowledged the gun, but also, if the sneer on his face was anything to go by, clearly believed she would not use it. "I'm dead serious," Melissa warned, cocking the gun.

"I'm sure you are," the man said calmly, not perturbed a bit. "Tell me who you are."

"Just let me go," Melissa replied as levelly as she could. The man looked at her calculatingly for a moment, and then waved the wooden weapon. Suddenly, Melissa found she could not move a single muscle. Her mind struggled fiercely, but she was completely frozen.

Eyes narrowed, he looked around the hallway for a second, and then turned back to Melissa. With another wave of the strange item, Melissa's head was unfrozen. "Who brought you here? You obviously didn't get in by yourself."

"A man and a woman, dressed like you. They said they were Tonks and Shacklebolt. I was in my house, and they had broken in. They said…" The man was looking at Melissa with such an expression that she couldn't figure out if he believed her or not. From what she had seen so far that day, she didn't want anyone with that weapon of his getting upset with her. "There were other people too, but with black robes. They blew up my door." Melissa trailed off. She hadn't thought about the other group of people again. Were they also with the first two? Was this man one of them? They had all been wearing masks….

The man held his wand to his throat, and when he spoke his voice was magnified with surprising clarity. "Tonks and Shacklebolt, get back to the main hall _now_." His voice was authoritative and agitated.

It took only a minute for the two other people to join them in the hallway. That minute was spent in silence between Melissa and the man. Melissa tried to form a plan to escape, but she knew she'd have to get that weapon away from the man first. He watched her with unnerving intensity, calculating black eyes taking in every aspect of her appearance.

"You'd think we'd have thought of that charm while we were looking all around this house for you," Tonks said as she emerged from her doorway. "Hey Melissa, I see you've met—"

The man ignored Tonks, and watched as Shacklebolt entered from his doorway. "What is she doing here?" he snapped immediately. "Why would you bring anyone here?"

Shackebolt spoke calmly, "We found out that she's related to You-Know Who. We got her out just in time—Death Eaters did that," he said, gesturing to her bloodied appearance. "Right now I need you to heal her."

The black-haired man sighed and said, "How are you sure it's not a trap? They could have placed her there. Isn't it ironic that they showed up at the same time you did?"

"A coincidence, but not unbelievable," Shacklebolt replied.

"Hey, did you immobilize her?" Tonks asked confused, looking at Melissa with her eyebrows furrowed. "Really, Sev, she's not dangerous." She waved the weapon at Melissa, and she could move again.

Plan ready, Melissa raised her pistol and shot at the black-haired man, who was closest to her, turned, and pulled open the door. There were angry and bewildered shouts behind her while her adrenaline helped propel her pained limbs through the door. A bright jet of red light flashed over her head as she jumped down all three of the front steps and hit the ground sprinting.

She had no clue where she was, but didn't waste any time taking her bearing. Her plan was sketchy, but she knew she had to find a telephone and call the police as soon as she could.

However, she quickly noticed that she was in the middle of nowhere, and not in the normal sense. She was running through a field, completely unoccupied by humans. Glancing behind her, there was no house, no anything, that she could have just come from. Suddenly, out of midair, Tonks appeared in the field behind her. "Melissa!" she shouted. "Wait!"

Not stopping to talk, Melissa ran faster forward, eyes down so she would not stumble in the long grasses. There was a flash of light near her, but Melissa jumped sideways before continuing to run.

With a loud crack, Tonks was right in front of Melissa. "_Stupefy_!" she exclaimed, pointing the weapon at Melissa. Before she could react, red light engulfed her and she lost consciousness.

**Please review and let me know what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

When Melissa woke up, she found herself sitting in a wooden chair. Glancing down she saw that she was unbound, but could not move anything but her head. If she had not already felt it before, she would have feared paralysis.

"Look who's awake," sneered a cold voice. Melissa snapped her head up and met the dark eyes of the man from earlier. His upper left leg was bound tightly and he was glowering daggers at Melissa. Seeing her gaze, he said bitingly, "Good shot considering you didn't even aim."

Melissa ignored him, looking around the kitchen she was in quickly. "Where are—"

"They left me to look over you," the man replied coolly. "They've got better things to do than baby-sit a trigger-happy idiot." His bitterness was not solely directed at Melissa.

"Why are you keeping me here?" Melissa asked levelly. "I think I've made it obvious I do not want to remain any longer."

"Excessively obvious," the man replied. "Well, Miss Blackmore, you are either a Muggle, in which case we're saving your life, or you are a Death Eater, in which case you don't want to know what's going to happen to you." His tone implied that he hoped the second scenario was correct. "Shacklebolt instructed me to heal you before I figure out which you are." He paused. "But I told him that since your wounds are not fatal, I was going to find out first."

Melissa listened to him, feeling hopeless. "I'm not either of those," she told him. "You've got the wrong person."

"_Legillimens,"_ the man said crisply. Suddenly, Melissa found that all she could sse were own memories. Panicked, she tried to find a way to stop the rush of memories. She could feel a strange presence sharing her mind with her. Melissa took a deep breath and cleared her mind, forcing herself to stop remembering and turning her thoughts systematically to veterinary surgery as she always did when overwhelmed by memories. She had mentall performed a knee replacement for a horse until she found she could see the real world again.

The man was staring at her, eyes narrowed. "What I could see was distinctly Muggle," he said slowly, "..but you stopped me from looking. How?"

"You were reading my mind?" Melissa interrupted, horrified.

"Miss Blackmore, you are either an extremely good actress and Occlumens or a very unique Muggle." He trailed off. His black eyes were eerily intense. "I suppose you're telling the truth," he allowed. The man walked abruptly towards one of the cabinets. "Thirsty? You must be. Here." Not facing Melissa, he prepared a drink, and then brought over a strangely shaped cup to her.

"What is it?" Melissa asked suspiciously. His change of heart had been frighteningly sudden. Besides, he seemed angry with her. Not to mention that he claimed to have just read her mind… and she believed him.

"Water," he replied shortly. "Smell it."

Melissa complied carefully. The clear liquid was odorless. Melissa looked up and met his eyes quickly. "What's holding me to this chair?" she challenged.

"Magic," he replied. Melissa sighed, frustrated. No one was giving her straight answers here. "Just drink. You'll think clearer."

Melissa uncertainly opened her mouth, and the man set the heavy silver cup to her lips, and tilted some of the water into her mouth. She swallowed, waiting tensely to feel signs of poison. However, she suddenly relaxed completely. Why had she been afraid?

"What is your full name?" the man asked, setting down the cup, pulling up a chair, and facing her.

"Melissa Anne Blackmore."

"Where are you?"

"In a kitchen."

"What is your mother's name?"

"Julia Blackmore."

"Full name," he clarified.

"Julia Mary Gaunt Blackmore."

"Where is she right now?"

"Blue Hills Cemetery."

"Dead?"

"Yes."

"Are you a witch?"

"No."

"Was your mother a witch?"

"No."

"Are you positive?"

"No." Melissa was surprised to hear her answer to the question. Was that true? Why was she telling this man about her mother? Her mind felt disturbingly foggy.

"Who brought you here?"

"Kingsley Shacklebolt."

"Do you know who Voldemort is?"

"No."

"Do you know who Tom Riddle is?"

"No."

"How did your mother die?" His eyes were bright and focused.

"A car crash killed her and my da. Someone I didn't know came while I was in class to tell me… I never even got to see their bodies."

"The person who told you… what did they look like?"

"He was really tall. Long beard and glasses. His clothes were really odd…" Melissa trailed off. For some reason, her memory of the man was blurry.

"How old were you?"

"20."

"If I unfreeze you and give you your gun, are you going to shoot me again?"

"Yes."

"What will you do if I unfreeze you and don't give your gun?"

"I'd jab at your eyes and run."

Without unfreezing Melissa, the man stood up and left the room suddenly. After a few minutes alone Melissa's mind cleared suddenly and she wondered why she had said all of that, especially to a man who had kidnapped her. Had there been drugs in the water?

He swooped back into the room, dramatically towering over Melissa. "There's m,ore to you than it seems," he told her, "but I suppose I believe that you believe you are a Muggle."

Frustrated, Melissa snapped, "I don't know what that even is!"

"It is a person without magical abilities," the man drawled.

Melissa narrowed her dark blue eyes at him. "That stopped being funny after the hundredth time," she snapped. "Now tell me the truth."

The man pulled out the wooden weapon and displayed it to her. Melissa eyed it warily, unsure if he was about to attack her. "This is a wand and how I perform magic." His voice was dull and informative. Melissa wondered if he had even been a teacher—he had the 'I can't believe I actually have to even teach this to this idiot' voice down perfectly. He gave the 'wand' a wave, and the kitchen table began to hover over the white tiles.

Melissa watched the table uncertainly. The idea was absolutely ridiculous… magic? However, somehow Melissa believed it. It explained everything that had happened to her over the last day. Had it really only been that morning she had been arguing with the waitress about her ex-boyfriend? It seemed so far away she felt she was in a completely different world.

"The sooner you accept it, the sooner we can start to figure out what to do with you," the man said, setting the table back down on the floor.

"Show me something else," Melissa challenged. What else could he do? Melissa watched carefully, hoping to find a limit or flaw in his power.

He rolled his eyes and waved the wand again. The chair that Melissa was invisibly tied to morphed under her into a more comfortable leather armchair. "I also have to use magic to heal your wounds," he told her.

Melissa had been so caught up in her situation that the pain had only been hovering the back of her mind. The mention of it brought it to the forefront of her thoughts, and she bit her lip in discomfort.

He spoke calmly and bluntly, like a doctor. "I would summon all of the glass from our skin, but they would each exit the skin in my direction no matter what angle they entered at, so it would open new, bigger cuts. I will have to use a pair of tweezers charmed to grip glass to take out each of the shards. Meanwhile, I need you to drink a Calming Draught and a Blood Replenishing Solution." He picked up two leather flasks and showed them to her. "I would also give an anesthesia, but I need you aware so you can point out any glass I may miss."

"And then stitches?" Melissa asked, looking down at her body. Several of the cuts that she could see were deep enough to require them. The man looked at her in utter disgust. "If you're squeamish I can do it myself," she told him calmly.

"I'm supposed to be healing you—I can't allow you to 'stitch' yourself," the man replied, nostrils flared.

"Maybe you're not aware, but I am a quite capable veterinarian, and skin is skin, animal or human. I can most definitely give myself a few stitches," Melissa snapped at the man.

"Wizards have less barbaric ways of healing cuts," the man sneered, injecting each syllable full of contempt. "Once I get the glass out and blood in, it just takes a wave of the wand to heal it over."

While Melissa wanted to argue that she was fine with the normal _Muggle_ way, she personally knew how badly stitching her own wounds would be, and was ready try any method that avoided it. "Fine," Melissa conceded. "We'll do it your way."

"Drink these now," he instructed, approaching with the flasks and setting one to her lips.

"I can dr—" Melissa spluttered as he tipped some of the liquid into her open mouth. She swallowed angrily. "Just untie me and I can—" He poured more into her mouth, and she had to focus on swallowing instead of talking.

"This will be easier if you stop blathering," the man said matter-of-factly.

"That's what I'm saying!" Melissa said quickly, keeping her words short. "I can drink it myself."

"Interesting proposition. Unfreeze you, and let you drink the potions all by yourself?" The way he phrased it made the extremely logical idea sound ridiculous. "I'd consider it except you told me that you would, what was it, 'jab out my eyes' if I let you loose?" He mocked her voice in an inaccurately high-pitched tone.

"Well, not if you—" More drink poured down her throat, more spluttering. Melissa shouted, "God damn it! Just—"

"Bottoms up," he said as Melissa choked down the rest of the flask. "Next one," he said, picking up the second flask. "Open your mouth," he instructed. Furious, Melissa pressed her lips tightly together and furrowed her eyebrows at him. "Open your mouth," he snapped. "Don't be stubborn."

Melissa had to bite her tongue to stop herself from calling him a hypocrite. Her eyes scanned the kitchen again—if he did unfreeze her, she would drink his healing drinks… and then grab the knife lying so conveniently on the kitchen counter on the other side of the room. She would just have to take his wand first.

"I suppose you don't have to drink this," the man said calmly, setting the flask back down on the counter, and picking up the tweezers. "Of course, without the Calming Draught, this is probably going to not be a very nice experience." He angled the silver tweezers so that they caught the bright candlelight and reflected it to Melissa. "Kingsley asked me make this as easy as possible for you," he continued, gesturing lazily with the tool, "but if you're going to be so uncooperative…"

"Then let me do it myself! Like you said, the 'Muggle' way is barbaric anyway," Melissa argued.

"Ah, but you see, once again that would require me to unfreeze you which, if the way your eyes keeping flicking to that knife behind me is any sign, is a bad idea," the man said coolly. Seeing the surprise on her face, he continued, "No, it'll be my way. So, Miss Blackmore, do you want the potion?"

"No," Melissa drawled, feigning confidence.

The man shrugged, and sat down in the chair he had set in front of her. For a moment he seemed suddenly uncertain, but then regained his cool composure. "Your outfit is not conducive to this procedure," he said slowly.

It took Melissa a moment to understand. Discomfited, she began, "If I do it myself, then—"

"I'm doing it," he snapped, annoyed. "Just accept that fact and we can move on. This," he said, waving his wand, "is a wizard hospital robe." Melissa's jeans and sweater were replaced by a knee-length light green robe. "When I have to work on… a covered area, the fabric disappears over that specific place."

"You're going to do what you will no matter what I say, apparently," Melissa snarled, fighting down the panic and anger crawling up from her stomach. "Why even bother telling me?"

His piercing black eyes met hers and he said calmly, "No matter what you think, Shacklebolt and Tonks brought you here for your own protection."

While still not convinced, Melissa nodded her understanding. His eyes were captivating. He looked down and analyzed her lower legs. "Just a few cuts some small shards here," he assessed. "I'd tell you to hold still, but I don't think that will be a problem."

When he slowly pulled the first piece of glass from her skin, she gritted her teeth to stop herself from yelling. She let out a hiss of pain as he pulled the next piece out in quick succession. He paused. "Reconsidering the Calming Draught?" he asked, glancing back up at her and smirking slightly.

"No," Melissa spat. "Keep going."

He worked quickly and efficiently and was, to Melissa's intense relief, extremely professional, even when his work took him to her stomach and chest. Some of the deeper shards caused Melissa to grit her teeth so hard that she thought she was going to shatter them, but the overall operation was smooth and successful. The man was quiet and focused, and his lack of conversation was relaxing to Melissa.

When all the visible glass was gone, the man picked up the wand and waved it slowly over the length of her body, a cold, stinging liquid ran over her, fitting perfectly into the open cuts and leaving none on her bare skin. "Disinfectant," the man told her. "And finally," he said, waving the wand once again, "done." With a strange feeling like being bitten all over by mosquitoes, Melissa's cuts slurped together and healed over seamlessly.

"If that's it, why didn't you fix your arm?" Melissa asked suddenly, and then wished she could take her words back when she saw the cold anger on his face.

"Unfortunately," the man sneered, "your bullet hit my bone. We got out the metal, but my arm has to stay still to set properly." His words were simple, but his voice was biting.

Annoyed, Melissa snapped, "You can't kidnap me and then get mad when I shoot you."

"That would be a valid point except that I've reiterated that it was not a kidnapping," the man drawled condescendingly.

"Then can I leave now?" Melissa asked, knowing the answer. The man was silent, so Melissa continued, "Then that's the definition of kidnapping."

The man stood abruptly and slid his chair back under the kitchen table. With a wave of his wand, Melissa's clothes were restored and her chair was back in its original, uncomfortable wooden state. "Today in our world—the wizarding one, of course—there is an extremely powerful terrorist, whose ultimate goal is to have pureblood wizards rule the world, and he will kill anyone who gets in his way. He hates Muggles because his father was one. He has killed all of his Muggle relatives, except you."

There were a thousand questions overwhelming Melissa's mind, most notably whether or not what he said was true, but she asked, "Why now?" Her voice sounded too loud in the quiet room.

The man picked up a folded newspaper from the table and held it in front of Melissa's face. "A family heirloom…sold for several hundred pounds," he read. "The Dark Lord must have been informed of this. I hope you enjoyed your fifteen minutes of fame, because you can't afford to be seen again."

"The Dark Lord—is that the terrorist?" Melissa asked. The man nodded once. The name would have sounded cheesy to Melissa yesterday, but now the sound of it created an icy chill that raced down her spine. She remembered her earlier interrogation. "My mother?"

"She must have been related to Him," the man told her. "If you don't believe me, I suppose we can send you back to your house and wait for him to find you there," he added when Melissa didn't speak.

"I believe you," Melissa replied. "But how can you protect me? Why would you?"

"The Order of the Phoenix is dedicated to stopping the Dark Lord," the man answered. "Stopping him from killing is one of our many goals. This is a safe house, magically impossible to locate. You are safer here than anywhere else on earth."

Melissa nodded unsteadily. "I can't ever leave?"

"Not unless… until he is defeated," he replied. "Now if I let you loose now are you going to try to stab me?"

"No." As much as Melissa wished he was lying about it all, the facts all fit.

"Or shoot me or jab out my eyes?" the man asked, a smirk tugging at his thin lips.

"I won't hurt you," Melissa promised. "Unless," she qualified, "I find out you were lying."

Without replying, the man waved his wand and Melissa found that she was able to move again. She stood up and rolled her shoulders and neck, which were both sore after sitting still so long. "I can give you the tour of the house now, if you wish," the man offered. Melissa realized that he was several inches taller than her when he approached her.

"All right," Melissa conceded.

The house was much bigger than the first hall had led her to believe. Each of the seven doors on the main hallway led to another hallway which each contained another seven doors. Most of the doors in the three hallways on the right contained bedrooms or bathrooms, but several were large meeting rooms and classrooms. "At some point every Order member has spent a night here. We keep every room ready just in case."

"Will I be the only person remaining here at all times?" Melissa asked as they entered the first hallway on the left side. The man glanced back at her. "I, too, am a permanent resident," he allowed shortly.

"Why?"

"You'll learn someday," he replied, tone signaling the end of the conversation. "My rooms are at the end of this hall," he said. "You may not enter any of them without my permission."

"How many rooms do you have?" Melissa asked, surprised.

"A bed and bath, a potions-brewing and storage room, and a library," he replied calmly. "But, once again, not for you."

In the fifth hall were storage and clinic rooms, which Melissa only got a brief glance at before they moved to the sixth hallway. "Your room can be the third on the left on this hall. The rest of the rooms are practice rooms."

"Why aren't I allowed on the hall with the other bedrooms?" Melissa asked.

Though she thought it had been an neutral question, the man gave her an uncertain look. "Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of a Muggle staying here. We haven't even told many yet. There may be more objections if you seem in the way."

"I thought you were protecting Muggles," Melissa asked, worry creeping over her. The safe house wasn't sounding quite as safe any more.

"In part. Most people in the Order want to protect their families though. You are an important target to the Dark Lord, so a danger to the rest of the Order."

"Oh," Melissa said uncertainly.

"You have as much right as anyone to be here," the man said, not looking at her. "Shacklebolt is in charge here, so your position is secure." Melissa nodded, though he was still not looking at her. "This is your room, and the bathroom is through there," the man said, opening the door to a room. The bedroom was small, with just a bed and wardrobe, and was dull white with plain navy covers on the bed. "The kitchen is well-stocked, so go back there when you get hungry." He started to walk back out of the door.

"That's it?" Melissa asked. She didn't want to be alone yet.

"For now. I'm sure they will call a meeting to introduce you at some point. I will let you know." He paused. "I suppose you can explore, but stay in your room when possible. Order members come in and out of here often, and some may react violently if they don't recognize you."

"Like you did?" Melissa asked tartly.

"Exactly. Goodbye." He began to leave.

"Wait!" He turned and raised an eyebrow. "What's your name?"

"You may call me Severus," he replied calmly and then was gone.

Melissa closed the door and looked around her plain new room unhappily. Her whole life was gone. She walked, dragging her feet, to the bed and sat down uncomfortably. She was never to see her home again. The diner would keep operating without her daily patronage. Would Susan wonder where she had gone? She'd probably assume she had eloped in some random, romantic decision. People tended to make the most interesting assumptions when deciding other peoples' fates.

Her thoughts drifted to her vet office. Mark, her young assistant, was hardly competent enough to take care of himself, much less an animal. She thought about the animals that would lose her help. It was the animals that brought tears to her eyes now, and she lay on the stiff bed and cried.

_**PLEASE review…**_


	3. Chapter 3

Melissa stayed in her room for a long while, thinking over everything she had learned. It was overwhelming, and she felt like crying every time the reality hit her again. However, she forced herself to swallow the urge and move on with her thoughts. The vet in her longed for a pen and paper so she could write down her tumultuous thoughts concisely, but there was nothing in any of the drawers of the wardrobe.

Several times Melissa tried to lie down and sleep, but her mind wouldn't quiet enough though her body was exhausted. Finally, her growling stomach urged her to leave her small room and journey back to the kitchen. The entire building was eerily silent and Melissa jumped at every small sound. The continuous events of the day had left her nerves frayed.

The kitchen was as she remembered, with no sign of the surgery that occurred in one of the wooden chairs only hours before. Melissa looked around, confused. She realized there was no refrigerator, nor a stove, or even a microwave oven. To her amazement, the first cabinet she opened was full of ice cold bottled drinks. Realizing only then how thirsty she was, Melissa eagerly took one of the bottles. It was filled with an amber liquid that looked unlike anything she had tasted before.

She opened all of the drawers in the kitchen searching for a bottle-opener, but was disappointed. The drawers held utensils, measuring cups, and napkins, but no appliances were to be found. Throat aching in protest, Melissa set the bottle back in the cold cabinet with a sigh. While she found food or drinks in each cabinet, the majority were like the first bottles in that Melissa couldn't understand how to eat or drink it. There was pasta, and water from the sink, but no stove to make the final dish. Finally, she found several apples, bananas, and oranges sitting in a wooden bowl on the bottom shelf of a cool cabinet.

Melissa ate one of each, delighting in the fresh flavors, and filled a tall goblet with water from the sink which, to her confusion, was not connected to any pipes that she could see. She was sure that magic made fixing food very easy, but she was lost and struggling in the unequipped kitchen.

When she was finally full, she sat heavily at the kitchen table. Thinking over what the man, Severus, had said earlier, Melissa realized that even though she was safe from her evil relative, sheer boredom would kill her in this safe house. She was limited in exploring, had no access to entertainment, and didn't even have anyone to talk to since Severus had disappeared to his own quarters.

Melissa decided to explore despite the warnings. She just wished she still had her gun—and hoped she wouldn't run into a stranger with a wand.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The house was dark and empty, though windows and candles were spread liberally throughout. It was approaching dusk outside, and the tall grasses of the field were swaying calmly in a soft breeze. Despite the seemingly peaceful atmosphere, Melissa felt jumpy and on edge, as though every shadow was a potential attacker.

Some of the rooms were locked, making her wonder if Severus had gone around after her to make sure she stayed where he had told her to. Annoyed, she let out a heavy sigh, which caused a loose lock of hair to fall over her face, and she tucked it behind her ear unhappily.

The rooms she could access were boring and lifeless, such as other bedrooms and meeting rooms with long tables and dozens of chairs. Melissa was getting close to giving up and returning to her room when a slightly ajar door caught her eye. The dimly lit room was full of shelves covered in dozens of bottles. A potions storage room, Melissa recalled from her earlier tour. She was surprised Severus had left this room available to her.

Brimming with curiosity, Melissa walked slowly around the tall shelves, careful not to touch anything. Severus had hinted that many potions were deadly, and since Melissa couldn't distinguish the good from the bad, she touched none. They were labeled briefly in sharply and abrupt handwriting, such as 'DSD' or 'Ver. Consult before use.' Each bottle was different in color and shape, and were layered in varying amounts of dust.

To Melissa's delight, she found a short stack of books in the corner of the dimly lit room. The titles were self-explanatory, if unusual. Melissa skimmed them eagerly, kneeling on the dusty stone floor on her bloody, shredded jeans. The 2791 Uses of Unicorn Hair in Potions, Wands and Fashion, The Potioneer's Guide to Moonstone, Cures for Every Disease Known to Wizardkind Except the Ones Without Known Cures (the heavy tome reflected the size of the title), and Animal Bites: What to Do If It Happens to You. The last one seemed the most interesting, and Melissa pushed the stack against the wall and slid the bottom book out. It was moderately thick, and Melissa flipped to the middle. Diagrams and detailed explanations met her eager eyes. This could hold her for several days.

Melissa stood up, smiling at her success, and dusted off her jeans, though the dust was nothing to the slashes and blood from the glass shards. She held her new book close to her side happily as moved to the door. A glint from a bottle caught her attention. Without knowing why, she approached to inspect it, dropping the book as she went. The contents were shimmering pearl white and seemed to be swirling slowly though the bottle was still. It sang out to Melissa soundlessly and she knew she was supposed to drink the potion.

Her hand stretched out… "Don't do that," a sharp voice said from behind her. Melissa jumped and whirled around, fist already moving towards the man.

Severus caught her punch much more easily than she would have like and Melissa stopped her attack when she recognized him. "Sorry," Melissa muttered, dropping her hand to her side.

"This," Severus said, reaching past to pick up the bottle gingerly, "is Unicorn Dust."

"That sounds nice," Melissa said, eyes locked back on the beautiful bottle.

"It's supposed to. The potion calls to the magicless. If you had drunk this, your internal organs would have simultaneously turned inside out, resulting in your immediate and painful death. We confiscated this from a Death Eater. Keeping it here was supposed to protect Muggles from it." He spoke with the irony coloring his voice, a strange mix of amusement and bitterness.

Melissa's mouth fell open. Her stomach twisted in horror, and she quickly jerked her eyes from the bottle. "Why… why would someone make something like that?" she choked out, taking a forced step back. Even knowing what it was, Melissa felt drawn to it, and that made her feel sick.

"Muggles have some gruesome weapons too," Severus pointed out calmly.

"Nothing that makes people want to kill themselves!" Melissa argued. "That's cruel and disgusting!" She spoke fiercely, but found she was wondering idly how delicious it would taste. She realized she had taken a step closer, watching the swirling potion intensely.

"Yes, it is," Severus agreed. He clearly saw Melissa's struggled between running as far away as possible and snatching the bottle from his hand and chugging it down. "I'll hide it somewhere you can't get to," he reassured her, pocketing the bottle. Once out of sight, its spell lifted from Melissa and she could look away.

"Thank you," Melissa panted. When her head cleared, she met his eyes angrily. "Why don't you just destroy that?" Fear was building in her—these people kept weapons specifically designed to kill "Muggles" like her. How could she know they weren't just waiting to kill her?

"I'm currently working on a vaccine," Severus answered coolly, meeting her accusing eyes.

Thrown off course, Melissa asked, "A vaccine? How could you administer a vaccine to every Muggle…?"

"We've done it before," he said easily. "You probably need to leave now," he said, gesturing to the door.

Melissa nodded once, reached down to retrieve her fallen book, and took a step to go past him. He gave a long-suffering sigh. "And what is that?"

Melissa lifted the book to let him see the title. "Will this kill me too?" she asked bitterly.

He looked at it briefly. "That should be fine. By the way, there's a meeting to discuss you in the conference room on the third hall tomorrow night. Be there at 7 sharp."

Melissa gave a vague smile and a nod, and then left the room, mentally swearing to never even look at another potion in her life.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Melissa could hardly put the book down, reading more quickly than she ever had in her life. These animals were like nothing she had seen before. The book was supplemented with drawings of the various creatures, and Melissa stared at each picture for minutes, trying to absorb the new information. This one here, the basilisk. The description on how to treat the bite was short, namely, "You will die within one minute. Consider writing a will if you happen to have a quill and parchment nearby. However, it is much more likely that you will die instantly by meeting its eyes." However, the drawing was surprising detailed considering to look at it was certain death. Baffled, Melissa tried to think of an explanation for such a large serpent. Surely it was too big to move fast enough to catch prey. And digestion! Normal snakes took long enough.

Melissa was on a page about a strange creature called a gnome when her heavy eyelids won out over her curiosity and she fell asleep on top of her new book. When she awoke, her room looked same. The candles had not down in the least, so Melissa wondered why she felt so rested. However, when she got into the hallway she realized her error—magical candles apparently didn't lose wax because the afternoon sun outside was bright over the horizon and the grass swayed lively in the wind.

Melissa rolled her shoulders back and yawned widely, amazed at how long she had slept. Normally she could not keep herself asleep past 9 am. Considering the various traumatic events of yesterday, Melissa found it logical she had slept so long.

In the light of a new day, everything that happened to her since the previous morning seemed laughable. Witches and wizards? But Melissa knew it had happened. She collected her book and trekked to the kitchen for breakfast—or lunch, as it was. Since the kitchen was as baffling in the morning as it had been the previous day, Melissa settled again for fruit and water.

Eating slowly, Melissa became engrossed in the book again. She could hardly believe these animals existed in the same world as the cats, dogs, and other normal creatures she usually treated.

When she reached the page about hippogriffs, Melissa abandoned her half-peeled orange to study the page more closely. Did a half-horse, half-eagle lay eggs or give live birth? Melissa wished the book gave more details, but each page only contained the diagnosis for injury from the creature and a drawing. Perhaps she could look for another book… No. Melissa decided firmly she would explore no more after her brush with death in the potion storage room.

At one point Melissa looked up and realized that her back was uncomfortable in the chair she was in, and moved form the kitchen. Recalling that one of the smaller meeting rooms had been furnished with plush armchairs, she found the room and curled up in the chair farthest from the door—paranoid and wanting to keep all entrants in her line of sight—and began reading.

Her eager eyes tore through the pages rapidly, and she was disappointed to reach the end of the book. After only a moment's contemplation, Melissa flipped the book over, and began again from the beginning.

Time flew past quickly as Melissa read until her urge to find a bathroom forced her to leave the comfort of the plush chair and head back to her room. Melissa was shocked to see it was already almost dark outside—had she really been reading that long? Remembering her meeting with the wizards deciding her future, Melissa picked up her pace, determined to shower quickly before going to the other meeting room.

Melissa set the book on her bed, resisting the urge to toss it in her hurry, and entered the bathroom. Unlike in the kitchen, Melissa could understand how to work the bathroom. There were several different taps on the bathroom, but a quick test proved there was one for water and others were for soap, shampoo, and conditioner.

The bath was soothing, but Melissa forced herself to hurry. She had no watch so did not know when 7 would arrive. If this safe house was near her town, though she realized they could be anywhere in the world from the powers she had seen displayed, 7 would be just around the time the sun set.

Once clean, Melissa regretted having to put back on the same dirty clothes, but had no other options. Her long dark hair fell wet over the shirt, but there was no hairdryer available.

Melissa was looking in the mirror, trying to think of a way to improve her bedraggled appearance, when there was a knock on her bedroom door. "Coming," Melissa called, walking over and opening the door. It was Severus, looking impatient. "We realized you did not have a watch," he said curtly before she had time to greet him. "Everyone's here."

"Oh!" Melissa said, looking at the window and seeing it was still not dark. "What time is it?"

"Almost 7:15," he replied. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Melissa said, closing the door behind her.

Severus muttered something, and Melissa suddenly felt hot air engulf her hair, drying it quickly. She jumped, surprised, but it stopped quickly. "Your hair was still wet," he pointed out as if she hadn't known.

"Yes," Melissa replied, "but not all of us can magically hairstyle."

Severus nodded briefly, looking uncomfortable. "Right," he answered. "I didn't forget."

"After the incident last night I don't see how you could," Melissa said calmly. "Which hall are we meeting in?"

"The third," Severus said, clearly glad to be off the topic of her lack of magical abilities. "I'll take you."

They walked in silence to the room. Melissa entered the room behind Severus cautiously. There were five people already seated. Melissa smiled uncomfortably. The last time she had seen the only two she recognized she had been trying to shoot them. The two women she didn't know looked normal enough—one was younger with thick brown hair and the other was an older woman with a tight bun and seemingly as tight a personality. The last man, however, was clearly a wizard. He had a weathered face covered in scars and was rolling his wand between his fingers. The most striking feature was a electric blue eye that revolved in the socket dizzyingly.

Severus sat in between Tonks and the woman in the bun. "Please sit," Kingsley said, gesturing to the chair at the front of the table, putting her under all of their stares.

Melissa perched at the front of her chair, feeling extremely intimidated. "This is the Muggle?" the long-haired woman asked flippantly, lips pursed. "She doesn't look like You-Know-Who."

"You mean a bald snake-man?" the other woman said. "Why, you're right," she said sarcastically.

"Melissa, this is Professor Minerva McGonagall," Kingsley introduced, pointing to the woman who had last spoken. "This is Emmaline Vance and Alastor Moody. And you already know me, Tonks, and Snape." Melissa looked around confused for 'Snape' and saw Severus tilt his head to show that was him. "Everyone, this is Melissa Blackmore."

"You've had an interesting last few days, haven't you?" McGonagall observed, smiling at her. "It must have been quite a shock." Melissa nodded, smiling at the woman, grateful for the consideration. "That is, of course, assuming you're who you say you are," she continued. The smile dropped off Melissa's face immediately.

"Oh please, it's obvious she's a Muggle. Look at the glazed look in her eyes," Vance said.

Melissa looked at her sharply, furious. "Actually—"

"Oh, don't be such a bitch, Emmy," Tonks said. "My grandparents were Muggles and they were really smart."

Vance didn't look convinced, but Moody spoke before she could reply. "Snape, did you give her Veritserum?"

"Yes," Severus replied calmly. "She's a Muggle."

"Maybe I should give it to her too," Moody proposed, looking to Kingsley for approval.

He shook his head. "If Severus says it worked and she's a Muggle, then she's a Muggle. Plus, he told me that yesterday she almost drank Unicorn Dust."

Melissa blushed when several of the witches turned to her to stare as if she were an idiot. "Yeah, Muggles are real bright," Vance sneered at Tonks.

"How could she know what it was?" Tonks defended. "Let's just get to the point."

"Tonks," Kingsley said calmly. "you told me that if I let you attend this meeting in the stead of the Weasleys you would behave yourself."

Tonks leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and her hair spontaneously turned black. "Fine," she snapped.

"Now, we need to make a final decision about what to do with her," Shacklebolt said. "Suggestions?"

"Toss her out before she can lead any Death Eaters to our front door. We already lost one headquarter. Let's not make this two," Moody growled, glaring at Melissa with both eyes suspiciously.

"And let Voldemort kill her? We're the good guys!" Tonks argued.

"Besides, Alastor, she can't lead anyone anywhere locked in here. We have the means to keep her here indefinitely. That way, if she's a Muggle she's safe from what's out there, and if she's a Death Eater, _we're_ safe from what's out there," McGonagall reasoned.

Kingsley nodded along with several others. "Is that acceptable for you, Alastor?" he asked.

"If it's the only thing we can come up with. At least I know she's free of bugs," he said, gesturing to his strange blue eye.

"Moody, you rude bastard!" Tonks exclaimed. "Get your creepy eyes away from her!"

Melissa watched the conversation with confusion, but no one seemed to consider explaining anything to her. "That seems like the majority. Agreed?" Kingsley asked. While Vance looked mildly annoyed, she nodded with the others. "Then that is settled," Kingsley said decisively. "She can—"

"Actually Shacklebolt, I believe you've forgotten to ask someone their opinion," Severus said softly, interrupting gently.

"Well, of course, since you live here you get your opinion considered. What do you think?" Kingsley asked him.

"I was referring to Miss Blackmore," he replied smoothly. The rest of the table, even Tonks, looked surprised by the idea.

"The Muggle's opinion?" Vance asked bitingly.

"I suppose so. Well, Miss Blackmore?" Kingsley asked, gesturing for her to speak.

Under the harsh scrutiny of their eyes, Melissa said, "I was wondering if there was a way I can go back to my own house."

Moody snorted loudly. "And you say she's not a Death Eater. She just wants to report our location."

"You're the one who gave me the idea!" Melissa snapped. "If you don't want me here, I have things to do at home."

"It's very dangerous," Kingsley reasoned.

"A house is a house. Do to my house and vet practice what you did to this place," Melissa replied. "The only difference is that there I can do my job."

Moody burst out laughing, and Vance, McGonagall, and Tonks chuckled along. "Muggles," Moody said, shaking his head.

Shacklebolt smiled and said, "So, we've decided she'll stay here and—"

"Excuse me!" Melissa shouted, standing and slamming her hands on the table. The laughter died slowly. "You're right, I'm just a stupid Muggle. But apparently you aren't as big and bad as you think you are if can't even protect one person in a magicless town of less than a thousand people! If you think you're so great, then you'll let me live my life. If all your magic is cheap tricks, then you can't help me here anyways! You've got magic, but you can't just swoop in and take away my whole life!"

The wizards were silent after her outburst, varying levels of surprise on their faces. Melissa, out of steam, sat back down in her chair and waited for a response.

"You ungrateful—" Moody began.

Oh, shut up Alastor," McGonagall said. "You are almost correct, Miss Blackmore," she continued. "we are not so powerful as to protect you elsewhere. It took months to ward this house to the level it is at now. As for taking your life away from you, I assume you would rather be alive here than dead elsewhere."

Melissa nodded when she realized the woman was not being rhetorical. "Couldn't I at least go back and collect my things from my house?" she asked, grasping at straws.

"Far too dangerous," Kingsley interrupted. "Death Eaters invaded your house when we were rescuing you. Voldemort will not be pleased you escaped. I'm sure the house is being watched. Remember, the bad guys have magic too." At Melissa's reluctant nod, he looked against at his colleagues. "She will stay here until new accommodations are found or it is safe for her to leave. She may not leave this house unless accompanied by at least two of us. At dinner on Sunday we can introduce her to everyone. Please avoid spreading around that she's a Muggle. The fewer who know about the situation, the safer it is for all of us. Agreed? Very good. Everyone is free to go now," he concluded the meeting.

Melissa got to her feet quickly and left the room before the others. She was almost out of the hallway when a voice called, "Miss Blackmore? May I speak with you?"

So close to escape… Melissa turned around to face McGonagall. Around her the other people walked in small groups, talking softly. "Of course," Melissa replied, aiming for politeness after her previous outburst.

The older woman motioned for her to follow and led her to the back of the hallway, out of hearing range of the other wizards.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, facing Melissa.

"I'm fine," Melissa said, confused by the question.

"You're remarkably calm for someone who just discovered the existence of magic. Most Muggles don't adjust so quickly."

Melissa was annoyed by the continued suspicion in a situation she didn't even want to be in, but kept her voice level. "I've been faced with incontrovertible evidence. What can I do but accept it?"

Sensing her irritated undertone, McGonagall soothed, "I just wanted to make sure you're not in shock disillusioning yourself that you're dreaming."

"I'm not," Melissa said. At McGonagall's skeptical once-over, she continued, "I'm a doctor. It's my job to interpret the truth from what I see. In some strange way, this all makes sense."

McGonagall nodded. "Well, I'm a teacher and it's my job to be concerned." She looked over Melissa again. "Are all your clothes still at your home?"

"I didn't exactly have time to pack."

"Tonks!" McGonagall called sharply. From the snappy way the other woman responded, Melissa guessed she had once been McGonagall's student.

"Yes?" Tonks asked, bounding over.

"You seem around Melissa's size. Do you have clothes she can borrow until we can figure something else out? I can conjure simple things like a toothbrush, but real clothes are better quality than magicked ones."

"Of course." Melissa smiled gratefully to Tonks. It fell at her next words. "Don't worry. I'll get your something much cuter than what you've got on. Not too hard, really, but still."

"Thanks," Melissa said, smiling tightly.

**I would really appreciate reviews!**


	4. Chapter 4

To Melissa's surprise, the strange wizard robes were extremely comfortable, though she felt awkward in them. Tonks had given her blues and purples, claiming the colors had recently gone out of fashion. She apparently figured fashion would not be important to Melissa, whether because she was a Muggle or in hiding Melissa didn't know.

After giving her the clothes, Tonks stayed the rest of the day. Melissa was able to see first-hand how a witch could operate the strange kitchen and enjoyed a sandwich with the woman. Luckily, Melissa didn't mind her toast well-done because it had taken Tonks several tries to get it paler than charcoal.

Despite having tried to shoot her two days ago, Melissa found that she enjoyed Tonks' company, if she was a bit abrasive at times. Besides, anyone was better than no one. When the vibrant woman left, the house seemed even more empty than before. Melissa collected her book from the kitchen and walked slowly back to her room. The halls were bright, but the solitude made them forlorn. Dark clouds approaching from a distance foretold an oncoming storm, and Melissa could feel the ominous air affecting her mood.

She was feeling bitter towards the wizards she had met with the previous night. Not one of them, even the friendly Tonks, had acted as though she were a sentient being. Severus had interrupted on her behalf, but had not argued her case at all. Melissa resented that they treated her like an inferior, like an animal unable to make choices.

From what Melissa could see, there was no physical differences between Muggles and wizards. The only separation was one controlled magic, and kept the other ignorant of its mere existence. And this Lord Voldemort! A man who considers himself at least royalty, at most a deity, had targeted her and started the entire situation.

As frustrated as she was, Melissa tensed remembering the flashes of fear on their faces when he was mentioned. If he was so dangerous, the wizards should at least inform everyone about him instead of leaving them in blissful ignorance with death around every comer. Surely there was some protection for Muggles against wizards.

"Hello," Severus said quietly behind her.

Melissa whirled around. He had just exited the door to the fourth hallway and was approaching her. "Could you at least _try _to not sneak up on me?" Melissa snapped, her pondering stirring upon anger to every wizard.

Severus looked amused. "Perhaps you need to pay more attention to your surroundings," he supported.

Melissa snorted. "It wouldn't help—you walk like a ghost." She paused suddenly. "_Are_ there ghosts?"

"Yes," Severus replied calmly.

"Really?"

"Yes, really. You'll find that most of your stories have some truth to them," he told her. "Speaking of stories, you haven't gotten very far in that book," he observed.

Melissa lifted the book, looking where her scrap paper bookmark rested. "Actually," she replied, affronted, "This is my third time reading it."

She was proud when he looked impressed. "And…?" he inquired.

"Fascinating," she affirmed. "I've got so much to learn, and I love it."

Severus awarded her with a smile. "I suppose you've never 'stitched' a chimera," he said.

"Or a gradon, basilisk, or flobberworm," she agreed. "Are there… are there any other books I can borrow?"

Severus paused, and gently took the book from her hands. He analyzed the clean cover and decidedly not dog-earred pages. "I can bring you another book whne I see you at the dinner tomorrow right," he offered. "Any particular subject?"

"More animals. Wands. Something I don't even know about," Melissa lifted. "It would really help me stay sane."

"Sane?" Severus repeated questioningly. His face was still, as though he worried she would suddenly go Muggle-crazy on him.

"I'm getting extremely bored," she explained, grinning at his worry.

"Ah," he replied. "Then I'll be sure to get you a new book." He nodded to her, and turned to leave.

"Um," Melissa began. The man turned back to her. "Thanks for what you did earlier. Letting me talk at the meeting."

He paused, opened his mouth, snapped it shut, and nodded solemnly to her. Then he swept away, leaving Melissa standing alone in the long hallway.

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After being late to the meeting, Melissa made sure to go early to dinner on Sunday. She was not the first one there. A large, stout, red-haired woman was scurrying around the table, setting the silverware.

"Hello," Melissa greeted.

The woman turned to her and smiled widely. "Hello dear. Are you new?"

"Yes," Melissa replied shortly. She stuck out her hand. "Melissa," she introduced herself.

"Molly," the woman replied. "Now, you just sit right down now. Everyone else will be arriving soon—dinner's in a half hour."

Melissa watched quietly as the woman set up the table and then left to the adjoining kitchen to gather a pot of stew. "Do you need any help?" Melissa asked.

"No, no, you just relax," Molly insisted.

Vance and a squat man in a top hat entered and sat at the other end of the table, completely ignoring Melissa. Slowly, others trickled in and the long table filled up with food and wizards. Tonks sat next to Melissa and drew her into a casual conversation. Just before seven, Severus slinked in and saw at the corner of the table.

"I'm glad you all could come this month," Kingsley said, standing at the head of the table. "Allow me to introduce Melissa—she'll be staying in the safe house for the next few months." Melissa nodded to the curious Order members. "Enjoy the food!"

There was a general clamor as everyone reached for the platters of food in the middle of the table. Seeing that Melissa only took a small portion of the food, Molly tutted and loaded her plate to the point of overflowing. "I don't see how anyone could eat this much," Melissa said, smiling.

Molly smiled. "Oh, I'm sure you can manage!" she said. "You should see me sons eat—I've got seven children," she confided.

"Wow, so many?" Melissa said, equally impressed and horrified. "Do they all live at home?"

"Not anymore." Molly's cheerful smile fell. "My oldest five all have their own lives and jobs now. Ron is eighteen now, but he missed out on his seventh year to help harry."

"Who?" Melissa asked politely.

"Why, Harry Potter," Molly said as though it was obvious. "My Ron is his best friend."

Melissa shook her head. "Sorry, I don't…" She faded out at Molly's expression.

"You don't know who Harry Potter is?" she asked in shock. Their conversation was beginning to draw the attention of those around them.

"Well, no," Melissa muttered, embarrassed by the curious stares. "I guess I've been a little out of the loop."

"A little?" snorted Vance, snickering from across the tbale.

Kingsley cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Melisa, uh, is a Muggle," he informed the group.

The wizards all began talking at once, getting progressively louder as they tried to make their opinion heard over the others.

"Really?" the red-haired man on Molly's other side said excitedly, leaning over towards Melissa. "Fascinating!"

Melissa didn't know how to react to all the voices going on around her, so she slunk down in her chair and avoided eye contact with anyone. She head several shouts over the crowd, few complimentary.

"Shut up!" Tonks bellowed, standing up and slamming her hands on the table.

"Thank you, Tonks," Kingsley said. "I understand that some of you may have objections, but it is already settled. Miss Blackmore stays here."

"Kingsley," reasoned a man, "this is against the law."

"I know," Kingsley replied. "but she's in danger and we're going to protect her. Now, any further comments can be brought up with me later."

"Let's get back to the food," a jolly looking man exclaimed, tucking in heartily.

Conversation returned to a normal level, but many eyes stayed on Melissa.

"Molly, switch seats with me," her husband said urgently. Rolling her eyes, the woman indulged him. "Hello, I'm Arthur," he introduced himself, shaking her hand eagerly. "A Muggle in headquarters!"

Melissa nodded, not sure how to respond.

"So, how long have you known about magic?" he asked.

"Since Wednesday," she said.

"Hm," Arthur said. "So," he continued, moving off the subject of her personal life without further thought, "would you mind telling me how computers work?"

Melissa faltered. "To be honest, I don't really know much. Wrong generation."

"More than I do," Arthur assured her. "Please? I'm planning on buying one, but I have no clue what they really _do_, you know?" he said, like understanding computers was at the same level as understanding quantum physics.

Melissa described the functions and processes of computers for Arthur until dinner was over. Several times she lost track of what she was saying when she'd catch someone's condescending stare or hear someone talking about her.

She ate ravenously when Arthur took over the conversation briefly. "I guess you like my food," Molly remarked happily, leaning over Arthur to view her empty plate.

"It was really good," Melissa told her. "Besides, I haven't eaten much since I got here—I can't really figure out the kitchen."

"Severus!" Molly shouted. The table turned to look from Molly to Severus in unison. He raised his eyebrows in reply. "Why haven't you been making Melissa food?" she asked protectively, face growing red. The maternal woman looked suddenly terrifying.

"It's okay," Melissa argued quietly. "I'm perfectly fine."

Molly ignored. "Well?" she thundered.

"I am not a cook," he replied acidly, bristling under the table's scrutiny.

"Well, figure it out! You can't let her starve because you're lazy~" Molly argued hotly.

"I don't have time to waste cooking."

"Molly, please calm down," Kingsley said smoothly. "And Severus, please take a little time to feed Miss Blackmore and yourself. It doesn't have to be fancy," he instructed firmly.

Severus nodded his consent and the conversation around the table returned to normal again. "Don't worry, Melissa dear," Molly said. "I'll bring by decent food whenever I can."

"Thank you," Melissa replied politely though annoyed the woman had caused such a ridiculous scene on her behalf.

After a seeming eternity, the Order cleared out in small groups. Molly stayed late to clean up with Melissa bravely trying to help though the sponges seemed well certified to handle the job by themselves.

Once everyone had gone, Melissa sighed and began walking to her room. "Melissa, Severus said softly, stopping her. "You should have told me that you could not work the kitchen." His voice was sincere.

"It's all right," Melissa assured him. "I was fine by myself. It's not your job to babysit me."

"Fine," Severus snapped with a venom Melissa had not anticipated. "Well, breakfast is at seven sharp. If you'd rather take care of yourself, don't bother coming by. Goodnight." He shoved a new book in her hands and swept away before the bewildered Melissa could say another word.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Men, Melissa thought huffily. Where did they get off being so stubborn? After the dinner a week ago Severus had hardly acknowledged her. At meals he was in and out quickly, eating so little that Melissa would have felt guilty he was cooking for her if he wasn't being so rude.

He was like a land mine and she had unknowingly tripped his switch. Melissa was just grateful he had given her a new book to her before storming off. The book, called Care of Magical Creatures for the Owner, was intriguing and surprising in every sentence. Melisa was stumped by some terminology, but did her best to interpret.

Magical animals ranged from the astoundingly unique to surprisingly mundane. Why would the wizarding world hide the existence of flobberworms?

The tension at the dinner table lingered over their heads like a storm cloud, waiting to break into a downpour and lightning. The door was simple and bland, but Melissa didn't dare complain. She looked between her book and Severus, wondering if he would bite her head off if she broke the silence. Finally, she said, "Do hip—" She cleared her throat when he looked up at her sharply. She started again. "Do hippogriffs five live birth?"

"I assume so," he replied tersely.

"Well, I'd _assume_ so too because its back half is horse, but I don't _know_. The way these other creatures defy natural laws, I don't think I'd be surprised if hippogriffs spontaneously popped into existence. I mean, look how basilisks are born," she said. "So, do you know_ how _they're born?"

Severus looked surprised for a brief moment before straightening his expression. "Are we only talking so you don't 'go insane with boredom?'"

"No," Melissa said, trying not to shout at him. "I want to know how the bloody hippogriffs are born. Me, Muggle, you, wizard," she explained coolly. "You know what I want to know—that is why we're talking."

His obsidian gaze searched her face for several seconds, capturing like the stare of a cobra. He blinking, breaking the connection. "Yes, they give live birth," he said finally. "Their beaks are born soft though, to protect the mother, but harden upon contact with air."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," Melissa nodded. "So…" She paused, looking at him to gauge his attitude. "What about chimeras?"

His answers remained stubbornly short, but Melissa prodded for details until he began providing information without her asking. Melissa was impressed by his broad range of knowledge. "Do you work with these animals?" she asked after a detailed explanation of mooncalves.

"No," he said immediately, lip curling in disgust. "Decidedly not. I am a professor, so I need a general knowledge of all subjects."

"What do you teach?" Melissa asked. Her plate was long since empty, but if Severus wasn't going to leave she was not going to stop their conversation.

"I'm the Potions Master at Hogwarts," he told her.

"Hogwarts—Is that some wizard university?" Melissa asked.

"It is a boarding school for wizardry and witchcraft. The students stay from 11 to 17 and then either move on to a specialization school or go into the work force. Most people choose the latter."

"No college?" Melissa asked. "Can you learn everything in seven years?"

"Yes. They learn a broad amount: the main classes are Charms, Transfiguration—how to change one thing into another, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and, of course, Potions," he explained.

"What, no English? What about math, physics, or foreign languages?" Melissa demanded, taken aback. "Do wizards not get an education in life?"

"Writing and some math are required for most classes…" Severus explained as though it were obvious.

"And no plain history? Wow," Melissa laughed.

"What is funny?" Severus asked stiffly. His arms were crossed defensively over his chest and he glared at her. "Well?"

"It just seems so…illogical," she said diplomatically. "Does magic replace intelligence?"

"Excuse me?" His voice was icy.

"Not like that," she assured him, though that was exactly what she meant and he knew it. "More… well, if you are designing a building—wizards need architects too, right?—does magic make sure the angles are correct? Do wizards have magic tax-completing forms? What about grammar? Do correct sentences form themselves with a wave of that wand? If not, kids need to learn it at school. And if so… your minds must be mush."

"Does my mind seem like 'mush' to you?" he replied tartly.

Melissa waved a dismissive hand at his anger. "I mean the average wizard. Can he do a simple geometry problem?"

Severus's face was blank and his eyes were fixed unmoving on her. "No."

"And if a wizard is applying for a job, can he write a decent résumé?"

"We do correct grammar along with content in their essays," Severus said. "Besides, we have no need for a written résumé."

"What if he applied for a Muggle job?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Highly unlikely."

"You mean every wizard has a job in magic?" she asked disbelievingly.

"The vast majority."

"That's elitist," Melissa said.

"We have magic, so we do jobs with magic," he said.

"Well, I've got legs. Does that mean I should be a professional athlete? We're all human and we've all got brains. Should we all be in intellectual jobs? Unless every wizard is equally competent, you're being ridiculous."

"I concede the point," Severus said, standing up and picking up his plate and glass.

Melissa followed him to the sink. "Are you saying you agree or that you're tired of arguing?"

"I'll think over what you said," he replied vaguely. He drew his wand, waved it, and the dishes were immediately scrubbed clear of any hint they had been dirty.

"All right then," Melissa said. "Well, do you have any questions about Muggles?"

"Our existence is secret to you, but we know about you," he told her, waving his wand again to send the dishes to the cabinets.

"You can't know everything," Melissa argued. "You don't work with us, talk to us, or anything."

"Perhaps most wizards just don't care," he snapped.

"You're not curious about how we survive without magic? I know I'm curious how you do with magic," Melissa urged, not ready to give up on the first conversation she'd had in a week.

"I suppose I've never bother to think about it," he told her.

"You suppose a lot. The truth now. Do you wonder?"

"You go into a jungle and meet a tribe. They are in awe of the wonderful technology you bring them. But do you ask them how to build a canoe? No, you have factories for those. You have no need for the more primitive method," he told her. His calm tone was infuriating.

"Primitive?" she snapped. For a moment she considered shouting or hitting him, but then took a ragged breath, grabbed her book, and stormed out. She stopped at the door and shot back over her shoulder. "I suppose I'll go enlighten myself about your far superior animals. Flobberworms… Ha!"

Melissa stalked back to her room, muttering under her breath. "Primitive? We invented GPS, cell phones, the Internet. They can't even cook a decent meal without their little magic to do the dirty work. Primitive! We've done the best of human ability. Condescending, stupid, close-minded bastard!" She slammed her bedroom door and sat huffily on the edge of her bed.

She glanced over and saw her scowling reflection. Melissa rose and looked herself in the eyes. "Primitive?" she wondered. They had scoffed at the idea of stitches. When you could wave a wand and bloodlessly seal a wound, then she supposed she did seem barbaric. And who needs high-tech planes when you could blink and appear anywhere?

She sighed and meandered back to her bed, feeling gloomy. Well, even if she was just a primitive Muggle, what could she do? They had made it very clear that you either had magic or you didn't. It was like taunting a man without legs that he couldn't win a race. Melissa fell backwards on her bed, frustrated.

There was a sharp single knock on her door. Melisa sat up cross-legged on her bed. "What?" she called sharply.

"Can we talk?" Severus sighed.

"Go ahead," Melissa replied.

"Face to face?"

"I'm sure you can just magic the door open," Melissa retorted.

"I'm not going to do that," Severus answered. "Come out here… please."

Maybe it was discretion or the please, but Melissa found herself opening the door. She crossed her arms and stayed in the doorway. "Yes?" she asked, keeping her anger out of her voice as well as she could. Now that they were looking at each other, Severus seemed to have forgotten what he had come to say because all he did was stand there silently, looking at her. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yes," he began. "I admit I was unfair in what I said earlier. It was harsh. Melissa did not reply. He was obviously unsure of what to say, but was clearly avoiding any words associated with 'sorry.' "We shouldn't argue about this," he continued. "We were born in different worlds, but now we have to live in the same house."

Melissa nodded, but kept her expression cool. "Unfair," she repeated. "So what description would you consider _fair_?"

He looked momentarily discomfited by her continued anger. "You are not a barbarian," he told her. "I wanted to make that clear to you." He nodded to her and began to turn away.

"Actually," Melissa said, stopping him, "I concede that wizards are probably intelligent even with the crutch of magic. Now, what do you think is a fair description of Muggles?"

He paused. "Muggles are humans that live without the aid—crutch—of magic."

"Diplomatic," Melissa said. "Apology accepted," she told him, holding out a hand to shake.

He eyed the hand. "That was not an apology," he told her, but shook her extended hand briefly anyways. "I was simply acknowledging—"

"That you were wrong and unfair. That's an apology," Melissa told him. "Don't worry—I won't tell anyone."

He looked unsure how to respond to her teasing. He nodded to her and left. Melissa leaned against her doorframe, smiling at his retreating back.

_**Look at all these nice long chapters! I would love some long reviews to go with them….**_


	5. Chapter 5

The next few days in the safe house were relaxed and friendly between Severus and Melissa. Melissa didn't bring up their argument, and Severus was avoiding the subject. Though his specialty was potions, Melissa interrogated him about magical animal veterinary care. In return he asked some questions about Muggle procedures.

"They must be tied down very well," he noted when Melissa described some of the details of surgery.

"Well, of course they're unconscious," Melissa said. "We wouldn't cut into an aware animal." Seeing his look, she continued, "Ad no, we don't knock them over the head. We use various anesthesia and tranquilizers."

"Anesthesia?" she asked.

"A gas that induces unconscious. I'm sure you've got a similar potion," Melissa told him. "You put the mask over their muzzle and they do unconscious for a few hours."

"Yes, we have similar spells," Severus said.

"What about animals that are impervious to magic, like…" She searched her memory. "Dragons? Can you convince them to drink a potion? Or I suppose you don't necessarily have to do surgery like us. Can you just wave your wand and clear an artery?"

"It's not as easy as that," Severus said. "Besides, most healing spells are too complicated for the average wizard to memorize or use. We have our own hospitals… and veterinary clinics as well. Speaking of," he said suddenly, looking at his strange watch, "I have a potion I'm mixing for St. Mungo's—hospital, that is—which needs to be stirred in exactly… 158 seconds. I will see you at dinner."

Melissa stayed at the table for a few minutes after he left, finished the scant remains of her meal. As she was setting their dishes into the sink, the door opened behind her. "I'm just putting the dishes…" She trailed off when she turned and saw it was not Severus at the door.

Two lanky red-haired twins strolled into the kitchen. Melissa was put at ease by their identical broad grins. "Hello beautiful," one said, bowing to her.

"I'm Melissa," she introduced herself, offering a hand to shake.

The other twin took the hand and kissed it. "Charmed. I'm George and this dunderhead is Fred."

"Oh," Melissa exclaimed, "You're Molly's twins! I should have guessed from the hair."

"Yep," Fred replied. "She only told you the bad things, didn't she?"

"They weren't very good," Melissa admitted.

"Our dear mum can't accept us," George signed. "Mum told us everything about you. Oh, and she told us to give you this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a palm sized box. "It's a sweater," he told her. "Don't worry, you only have to wear it once or twice, just so she knows you got it."

Melissa took the box. "It's…small," she noted.

"Oh, of course. Merlin, George, no manners!" Fred pulled out his wand and tapped the box, making it expand ten-fold with a loud pop.

Melissa set the box on the counter and opened it. It was, as the twins had told her, a sweater. It was neatly knitted, deep purple with an M in the middle in pale gold. "Soft," Melissa said, feeling a sleeve. "Tell Molly I said thank you."

The twins nodded together. "So," Fred said, "how's rooming with old Snapey?"

"You mean Severus?" Melissa affirmed. "It's been good."

"Good? Melissa, we had him as our Potions professor for _years_. We know he's an evil git," George replied, laughing.

"He doesn't seem evil to me," Melissa told them sharply.

"Are you serious?" Fred asked, looking at her defensive expression with surprise.

"Yes, actually. What do you dislike about him?" Melissa folded her arms defensively.

"He's so…" Fred began.

George elbowed him and said, "all right, he's okay to you." When Fred looked at him disbelievingly, George shook his head. "Now, Miss Melissa, how much magic"—he emphasized the words with jazz hands—"have you seen so far?"

"Not much," Melissa answered, ignoring their silent conversation. "Basic kitchen stuff, potions, some other spells. How many are there?"

"No one knows. More that I can count, at least," Fred said.

"Anyways, we were thinking we could entertain you with a duel," George said. "Interested?"

Melissa nodded and followed them from the kitchen to one of the practice rooms Severus had shown her. They waved their wands to move the furniture to the edges of the room and then stood across from each in the center.

"You're the ref," Fred told her.

"Yeah, make sure this one doesn't cheat." George pointed at Fred.

"How dare—actually, yeah, I've tried cheating before," Fred shrugged.

"What exactly are the rules?" Melissa asked, smiling at their enthusiastic banter.

"No killing," George said.

"No maiming," Fred added.

"No…actually, that's about it," George said.

"So I can only intervene as referee after one of you is maimed or killed?" Melissa clarified wryly.

"Yep," George said cheerfully. "Count us off please."

Pushing aside her trepidation, Melissa said, "Okay. One, two—"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Fred stopped her. "You have to count down. Otherwise, one of us might go on three while the other one was waiting for five.

"Oh, and we ought to shield her," George pointed out.

"Safety first!" Fred drew an elaborate shape in the air and muttered a short spell. A shimmery blue bubble popped into existence around her. Melissa reached out to touch the bubble. "Hey, don't pop it!" Fred said.

"If I can pop it, how is it supposed to protect me?" Melissa asked warily, dropping her hand.

George laughed. "He's joking. You're safe in there," he said, patting the shield. To Melissa's relief, it remained intact. "All right, Melissa, now count us off—backwards this time."

"Three, two, one, go?" Melissa counted uncertainly.

Immediately the twins turned on each other. A bright flash of blue light shot out of Fred's wand while a pink stream of light from George was approaching him. Both twin threw up shields and continued sending spells. A blob of orange ricocheted off a purple light, bounced off Melissa's stable shield, and transformed a table into a chicken.

One of George's spells got past Fred's shield and he began tap dancing wildly. He could not aim his rapidly fired spells, but one happened to bounce from the ceiling and hit behind George's shield, causing him laugh too hard to talk.

They attempted a few more spells, but nothing landed. Melissa rolled her eyes at their futile efforts. "Is this a tie then?" she called to them, laughing.

"It's—ha ha—not over until—" George dissolved into laughter.

"…one of us wins!" Fred called over the sound of his moving feet.

"You both lose on the basis of sheer stupidity," Severus said from the doorway. He waved his wand and the spells lifted from the twins. "Miss Blackmore is probably now _convinced_ wizard minds are mush."

The twins looked indignant. "We cast some very advanced spells," Fred argued.

"And deflected them with very advanced shields," George continued.

"You can not duel," Severus told them coolly.

"Be nice," Melissa told him. She was still trapped within her blue bubble but was content to wait until they were done arguing.

"And we can too duel," Fred said.

"Well," George added.

"Okay," Severus said, striding into the center of the room. "Prove it. You two… against me."

Fred and George looked at each other and nodded simultaneously. "Count us off, Melissa," Fred said.

"Count down," George reminded. The red-haired twins took their places opposite of Severus who stood imposingly calm across the room.

"Three, two, one, go!" Melissa said, and then closed her eyes against the three bright flashes of light that lit the small room. When she blinked her eyes open again, she saw the twins bound tightly together in the center of the room by thick vines, their wands fallen feet away. "That was quick," she remarked, surprised.

Severus shrugged and released them. The boys rose together, faces redder than their hair. "Rematch," Fred challenged.

"Right here," George said.

"Right now," the said together.

Severus glanced at Melissa. She shrugged. "Go on," she encouraged. "Show them it wasn't a fluke."

He nodded and faced the irate twins. "Three, two, one, go!" Melissa said.

The duel lasted marginally longer, with spells exchanged for nearly thirty seconds. This time Fred went out first, paralyzed on the floor next to Melissa's bubble. George bravely cast one more spell, but was soon disarmed and stuck in place by strange orange goo.

"And Severus Snape sweeps the field," Melissa announced. She stood up and knocked on her protective bubble. "Can I come out yet?"

With several waves of his wand, Severus released all three of them from their respective bondages. "That was so amazing," Melissa said.

Though the twins still looked angry, they smiled at Melissa. "Glad we could entertain," George said.

"We put up a good fight, but we're no match for a ex-De—"

"Professor," Severus interrupted Fred smoothly. "To teach, you need a broad understanding of magic."

Melissa nodded. "Does magic make you tired?" she asked the still upbeat twins.

"Magic, no, but dueling can get intense," Fred explained. "The longest duel went on for five years."

"Magic for wizards is like breathing is for Muggles," Severus explained.

"If you had to memorize spells and wand motions to breathe," George added.

"We'd better head out now," Fred said, checking his watch. "It was marvelous to meet you, Melissa."

"Absolutely fantastic," George said.

"Of course I'll walk you to the door," Melissa offered. The twins stood on each side of her and linked arms. "See you later, Severus," she said.

Severus nodded and was still rearranging the room when the twins cheerfully walked out with Melissa.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Molly's twins are entertaining," Melissa commented as Severus set a platter of chicken and rice on the kitchen table.

"Two of the worst students I ever had," he said calmly. "I had to teach seven Weasleys."

"Well, they must be smart to have such a successful joke shop," Melissa reasoned.

"Smart but mischievous and lazy," Severus said. "Intelligence is nothing without effort."

"That's true," Melissa said. "What about the youngest boy, Ronald? The one whos' with that one guy everyone knew about…" Melissa trailed off, remembering the incredulous stares with embarrassment.

"Ron Weasley was lazy and stupid. However, his other best friend, Hermione Granger, was too smart. Without her, Potter would have failed in his mission long ago."

"So what exactly is the story of Harry Potter?" Melissa asked tentatively, waiting for more mocking laughter.

"With a mix of dumb luck and chance, Potter defeated the Dark Lord once or twice," he explained tensely.

"The…the one who's after me?" Melissa asked. "Well, if he's already been defeated… Twice?"

"Unfortunately, the Dark Lord possesses a sort of immortality. He had seven lives," Severus told her.

"Well, how many does he have left?" she asked.

"Only four, we assume. That's the 'mission' that Potter and his friends are on—to destroy the rest of his lives and then kill him," Severus said, lip curling in thinly veiled contempt.

"Who else is helping him?" Melissa asked eagerly. Once the Dark Lord was dead, Melissa would be safe again.

"No one. It's just Potter, Weasley, and Granger," Severus said. "They won't get in touch with anyone… they're determined to keep the glory for themselves."

"Can three eighteen year olds pull this off?" Melissa asked. At Severus's solemn negative, Melissa sighed. "I'm stuck here forever, aren't I?"

Severus laughed for the first time she had met him. "I'm not used to talking to Muggles. Most wizards would hex me for doubting Potter."

"So everyone else thinks he's got a chance at doing this?" Melissa asked.

Severus sighed. "We've got no other hope."

Melissa nodded. "Optimism in the face of fear is sometimes the only path we can take without going insane with useless worry." Severus nodded thoughtfully. "Severus…?" He met her gaze expectantly. "Why are you in here?" He was silent for so long that Melissa regretted asking the question. "You don't—"

"I was a spy… against the Dark Lord. I was found out and now he's after me," Severus told her. "He's not known for forgiveness."

"How long have you been here?" she asked.

"A year and a half."

"That's a long time to be cooped up. Do you hate it?" she asked.

"I could work without interruption on my potions. But… I hated it anyway. It's never good to be locked up with your own thoughts for so long." He paused and then said, "But the present company is improving my attitude."

Melissa smiled and averted her eyes. "I…like your company too," she said.

When she looked back up, Severus was staring at her intensely. His obsidian eyes were as intense as a black hole, sucking in her gaze. "I—" He cleared his throat and stood up. "We'd better clean the plates off," he said, taking his plate and goblet to the sink. Melissa followed and set her plate by his. He waved his wand and the dishes cleaned themselves, dried off, and organize themselves in the cabinet.

"I finished your book," Melissa said, breaking the suddenly awkward silence. "I can give it to you…" She picked it p from where it sat on the counter and held it out to him.

He took it gently from her hand, avoiding touching her. "Thank you." He nodded to her briskly and turned to the door. "Would you like to pick out another book from my library?" Quickly, he continued, "Or I can just bring you one. It's getting late, if you want to—"

"I'd love to see your library," Melissa interrupted.

_Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

Melissa gaped at the vast array of bookshelves around the large room. As Melissa expected from Severus's crisp outfits, the library was classy. The walls were a warm neutral shade that complimented the polished dark wood of the bookcases. A glowing fire crackled at the edge of the room, placed far enough from the books to prevent cinders from touching the books, and a plush armchair rested by the fire.

"My section on animals is over there," Severus said, gesturing to a corner bookshelf.

"Thank you," Melissa said. Severus nodded, seeming to understand that she was thanking him for the book and for him trusting her with his library. Melissa was amazed by the amount of books that Severus had on every subject. She picked out a book that looked informative enough called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. She had realized she needed a broader understanding of the creatures in general before she could fully comprehend the more detailed books.

Book in hand, she approached Severus. He was leaned back in the armchair, face solemn as he read. "Here's what I'm borrowing, just to let you know," Melissa said. He looked up from his book and nodded. "It won't eat me?" she verified.

"None of my books will hurt you—at least, none in the animal section. Just avoid The Monster Book of Monsters. We had several students injured by that particular book," he said wryly.

"I'll keep that in mind," Melissa replied. She hugged the book close. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"If you want to read tonight, I can conjure a chair here for you," Severus said quietly. He looked down at his book as he spoke as though uninterested in her answer, but his eyes met hers once the words were out. His eyes were captivating.

"I do like reading by a fire," Melissa said.

They read in companionable silence for several hours. The only sounds in the room were the quiet crackling of the fire and the steady turning of pages.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was concise and extremely informative. Fascinated by the stories and information, Melissa hardly noticed as time flew by. When she stifled her third yawn in two minutes, Severus looked over at her. "I can't read with that incessant yawning." Melissa shrugged, and quickly bit down on another yawn. "It's past midnight," he said more calmly, putting a ribbon in his book to mark his page. "I can walk you to your room."

Melissa nodded, memorized the page she was on, and stood up. "You don't have to walk me back," she said.

"I've got to double-check the wards anyways," Severus said, standing up also. "If you don't mind," he added.

"I'd enjoy the company. Besides, I wanted to ask you about something I read in here," she said, holding up her book. As they walked, they discussed the intelligence of centaurs.

Melissa had learned in her time at the safe house that Severus had a broad understanding of everything in the wizarding world, which Melissa was increasingly grateful for. It would have been awful cooped in the house with an idiot. When she told Severus her last thought, he replied, "I concur. It is a good thing, then, that neither of us are idiots."

Finally, they reached her door. Melissa stood outside, hands by her sides. "Well, I guess I'll see you in the morning," she said.

"Breakfast is at—"

"Seven. Yeah, I got it," Melissa said, smiling at their predictability after only a few weeks together. "You know, I'm really glad it was you I ended up being here with."

His black eyes searched her face. His eyes finally landed on hers and Melissa was suddenly extremely aware of how close they were in the dark hallway. All he had to do was lean in… The moment was broken when Severus stepped back briskly from her. "Yes... I see you in the morning." He cast one more look at her and then walked away. Melissa smiled at his back, though it was quickly indistinguishable in the dark hallway.

As she got ready for bed, Melissa looked at herself in the mirror as she brushed her hair. What had he seen in her face that made him look so closely? Did he feel what she was feeling? She sighed, brushed her teeth, and went to bed.

Melissa had barely laid down when a crash and shout surprised her into sitting up. She waited to hear any more noises, such Severus had just fallen, but to her surprise there were more shouts.

This was obviously not good. She was sure anyone breaking into this house would be a wizard. How could she stand up to magic? Despite the danger, Melissa was already out of her bedroom by the time she had finished the thought.

Bright lights drew her attention to the end of the hallway next to the front door. Severus was only distinguishable from the other wizards by his lack of a mask. Two bundles of black robes were collapsed by the door to the first hallway and Melissa sidestepped the wizards cautiously. One was unconscious and the other was groaning quietly.

Severus was still up against three wizards, but his proficiency at dueling was obviously not limited to the harmless jinxes he had cast on the twins earlier. A streak of light hit Severus, leaving a gash in his arm wide enough for her to see the blood from far away. She hurried forward to help him, but he pushed past the pain to continue fighting, though he was pale and shaking.

Melissa knew Severus was too outnumbered to win so she jumped on the back of the tall wizard closest to her, locking him in a chokehold that was strong enough to surprise herself. His other two companions ignored his trouble, focusing on Severus. The man she held on to turned wildly, trying to dislodge her. His wand appeared over his shoulder, close to Melissa's face. She grabbed at it and tried to take it from him, but his grip was too strong. A flash of pale light hit Melissa and she was burned everywhere she was touching him. With a yelp, she fell backwards, hitting the wood floor hard enough to knock the breath from her.

Panting, Melissa looked up just in time to roll out of the way of a sinister cloud of blue smoke roiling towards her. She scrambled to her feet and the wizard pointed his wand at her. Another wizards dueling Severus fell, coughing blood. Severus turned and saw Melissa under attack. He raced forward, limping, and grabbed her arm. The wizard attacking her changed his focus to Severus. A blob of white formed over Severus and dropped solidly on his head, a disturbingly loud thud the only noise it made.

Melissa felt the same sensation she had when Tonks had grabbed and teleported her. Suddenly, she and Severus were away from the battle and were alone outside a door in a long dark hallway Melissa didn't recognize. Severus fell to the floor, completing the action begun during the battle.

Melissa panted, trying to get a hold of her bearings. The silence of the hallway made her jittery after the fighting earlier. She checked Severus's pulse, not realizing how worried she was until she nearly cried with relief when she found his stable heartbeat.

Looking down at his bleeding arm, she knew that having a pulse now did not necessarily mean that he would be okay. She tore the fabric away from his arm, which didn't take much effort because it was already ripped. His pale arm was bleeding profusely. The gash looked clean Melissa realized gratefully. She wound the sleeve tightly around his arm and tied it off. The make-shift bandage staunched the flow of blood. She allowed a small smile. Muggle methods may be primitive to a wizard like Severus, but they may have saved his life.

Once the pride that she had successfully bound his arm faded, she realized she was in a unknown location with an unconscious man she probably could not carry at 1 o'clock in the morning. Surely he had chosen this place for a reason. She looked up at the door they were in front of. Before her nerve could fail her, she stood—a little unsteadily from the teleportation—and knocked on the door.

There was no response. She sighed and looked back down at Severus. Now what to do? Could she call the police? She'd have to come up with a solid reason why they were both beat up and in strange robes without mentioning wizards or teleportation. The door opened suddenly, startling Melissa. A man around her and Severus's age stood there. He had reading glasses on and seemed quite awake for so early in the morning. "Hello?" he said, smiling at Melissa.

Melissa wordlessly gestured to Severus. "Do you know him?" she asked hopelessly.

The man's eyes sharpened. "Snape?" he breathed. He looked back up at Melissa. "Come in quickly.

With the man's help, Melissa got Severus safely into the small flat. They set him on the shabby couch and the man sat with Melissa at his kitchen table. He went around the kitchen, making a pot of tea. Melissa was unsure if he was a wizard despite him knowing Severus and being comfortable with their sudden appearance and strange wardrobe until he started the fire on the stove with a wand.

"First of all, who are you?" he asked her.

She looked suspiciously from his wand to his face. She had not seen him at the safe house. What if he was one of Voldemort's men? "Who are _you_?" she asked.

"Remus Lupin," he answered promptly. "If you were at headquarters—which you must have been, to know Snape—you're one of us. I just haven't met you. Unless…. Well, there's an easy way to sort this out. What is Royal's Patronus?"

"Who's what?" Melissa asked.

There was soft groan from the couch. Remus and Melissa both went to Severus's side. His dark eyes fluttered open. He spotted Remus. "Oh God, am I in hell?"

Remus chuckled, apparently used to Severus's venom. "Not yet,' he said. "You look like you got into a fight with a bear…and lost." Remus gestured to the bandage on his arm and bruised head.

"You didn't think to heal me?" Severus asked. "Maybe I should have Apparated to St. Mungo's… Melissa?" he said suddenly. "Is she here?"

Melissa leaned into his line of vision. "I'm here," she said. "You teleported us here."

"It's called Apparation," Severus corrected. Melissa rolled her eyes—he was teacher to the core to correct her directly after waking from unconsciousness. "I know I did. I was worried I might have let go of you when I got hit on the head. Lupin, tell Shacklebolt that headquarters has been compromised."

"What happened?"

"_Now_, please," Severus snapped.

Remus pulled out his wand and cast a spell that created a large silver wolf which bound from the room through a wall. "So, what happened?"

"I was checking the wards when they came in. The wards were all functioning, so I wasn't expecting them. There were five Death Eaters. I got three of them, but had to get Melissa out," he told Lupin mechanically before turning to Melissa. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine," she said. "Are you feeling dizzy, tired, or nauseous?"

"I don't have a concussion," he told her. "What hit me was a white cloud, correct?" Melissa nodded. "The spell induces temporary unconsciousness. I'm sure they were just trying to take me out of commission long enough to achieve their goal, whatever that was."

"So, Melissa, are you a new Order member?" Remus asked.

"You could say that," Severus said. He looked down at his arm and said, "If it's not too much of a hassle, Lupin, I did sustain a gaping wound."

"You lost a lot of blood, but I got it closed off quickly," Melissa said.

"Do you have a Blood-Replenishing Potion?" Severus asked Lupin. "But heal it first."

Lupin pulled out his wand. He tapped the make-shift bandage and a pale blue light covered his arm. Lupin unwrapped the bandage to reveal the healed wound. A thin line of scarring shone pale pink, but other than that small mark the cut had vanished. "Melissa, can you get the potion? They're in the cabinet by the sink."

Melissa looked nervously at Severus, remembering the captivating Unicorn Dust. Severus nodded reassuringly to her so she got up and went to the kitchen. Behind her, Remus and Severus continued softly talking, obviously freer to talk with her gone.

The cabinet contained a varied array of bottles and potions. Most were in a limited amount, but one large flask that emitted heat made Melissa avoid the middle of the shelf. Melissa looked at the small vials first, careful not to touch them any more than absolutely necessary. Finally she found a dark red vial labeled 'Blood Rep.' She took it carefully between two fingers and returned to the small living room, keeping her steps steady so she wouldn't drop it.

"…given away our location." Remus stopped talking when he spotted Melissa.

"Instead of dancing around, let me tell you this," Severus said. He was now seated and looking better than he had earlier, though conscious was a big improvement anyway. "We can trust Melissa with anything we have to say. She was in headquarters without leaving for the past month. She never sent any messages."

"The wards were down for who knows how long without our knowing," Remus argued. "She could easily have been our leak." He eyed Melissa cautiously, as though expecting her to shout her allegiance to Voldemort and attack them.

"I'm a Muggle," Melissa said bluntly. "So unless Voldemort and I were texting each other, I wouldn't have been able to contact. Besides, my cell shorted out in your headquarters."

Remus gaped at her and then turned to Severus and gestured wordlessly. "Oh, close your mouth," Severus snapped. "It makes you look more of an idiot than usual. Actually, I don't see how you couldn't tell."

Melissa turned on Severus. "It's not like I have a sign on my head that says 'Warning: Muggle' on it," she said.

"You didn't know what a Patronus was and you tied my wound with my sleeve instead of healing it," Severus listed.

"It's three in the morning," Remus argued. "And I wasn't expecting you and a Muggle to show up on my doorstep." He suddenly switched gears, saying, "Three a.m. and I have just been keeping you awake. You need sleep—both of you. I can set up the couch and conjure a cot. Melissa can take my bed, of course."

"No way," Melissa argued. "I'm not going to impose."

"True," Severus said. "In case you are being slower than even I expected, you realize Miss Blackmore and I are targets of the Dark Lord. Your flat doesn't have sufficient wards and we will not put you or ourselves in unnecessary danger."

"You're staying here until we find somewhere better," Remus argued. "What else would you do, hide in the woods?"

"I'll leave that to Potter," Severus said.

Remus ignored him. "My flat is well-enough warded to protect you two for a few nights," Remus said. "You can add some of your own spells on top if you're really worried."

"I frankly don't have the slightest trust in your ability to—"

"Do we have a better option?" Melissa asked, feeling that Severus was arguing just so he wouldn't have to agree with Remus. "Because 'frankly' I just got attacked by evil wizards and am completely exhausted. Surely they'll be too busy raiding the safe house to chase us tonight, right?"

Severus did not answer. Remus nodded. "Decided by Melissa, you are staying here. Melissa, I'll show you my room. Luckily, you're already in your pajamas," he said.

"I really can't have your room. You've only just met me and it'd be beyond rude to kick you out of your bed."

"Melissa, Lupin is a Gryffindor," Severus said.

Melissa sighed. "Am I supposed to understand that?"

"It means he's chivalrous to the point of stupidity," Severus said. "There's no way he'll make you sleep on the couch, so you might as well stop arguing."

"It's true," Remus shrugged.

"Then thank you very much," Melissa said, smiling.


End file.
